word and they posternall blanks The light here shines with them doth darknesse lye Or shall the truth in foppish relicks rest That were to Britaine an Egyptian pest But stay O stay long have I liv'd and liv'd To see their blindnesse in dejections fall I know their wayes and at their lives have griev'd They pierce our wills and we their projects thrall Is any under Sunne so well acquainted VVith them as I whose body they tormented They wish that Malaga had burnt me quick As doom'd I was so by Spaines Inquisition Whose tortures ah fast to my bones doestick And vexe mesore with pangs of requisition Great God avenge't confound them and restore Me to my health for I le debord no more Lord give me grace of all things to praise Thee Who never leaves thine owne left in distresse Thou first discoverd then deliver'd me A worke of love beyond my hopefulnesse I sought thou wrought then did enlarge my life Free from destruction last from Papall strife Now to observe my method I le returne To square construction with deploring Saints Then here 's my rule I le both rejoyce and mourne For teares bring joy when mercy crownes complaints The just man sinnes seven times a day and I Full seventy seven times may each houre descry Oh! if mine eyes like Arathusean Springs Fled Greece to Syracuse could yeeld three Fonts One to bewaile originall sinne stings The life of nature the other ah amounts To actuall trespasse the last and worst comes in To consuetude a deadly dangerous sinne Yet as the Malefactour when set free From death and pardond his heart is overjoyed Or as the Prisner set at libertie Which long before he never had enjoyed So Man when freed from sinne and Satans clawes His soule triumphs and loves religious lawes A â—hipwrackt man cast on some planke to seeke The safe set land which got how glad is he So shipbroke sinners in some stormie creek Of sinfull seas and sterne iniquitie Beene free to coast the shoare of grace and landed More greater joy than theirs nev'r soule commanded A wandring sonne long forraniz'd abroad In Parents hopes left desolate or slaine Yet when returnd and shaken off the load Of strangers rites how they rejoyce amaine So Saints so Heavens so Angels joy when changd One sinner turnes who long from God hath rangd These teares at Babell spent on Tigris banks Where Euphrates salutes that stately station Sowre-set Hebraick plaints powr'd forth by ranks Of mourning Captives banishd from their Nation And Sions face O sad Judaick songs Wailing for sinne and sterne Chaldean wrongs None of their teares were lost they pierc'd the heavens Whence kinde compassion free deliv'rance sprung God from his deoperculate Cherubins â—mbracd these feares his chosen flock had stung Then Mordecais sackcloth Queene Esthers woes Wrought Hamans death made Israel to rejoise Thus teares and pale repentance brought reliefe Though once exyld see now they 're back-reclaimd The least construction bred from godly griefe Begets like mercy mercy stands proclaimd At Heavens court gate for Christ the trumpet sounds And bids all sinners come he 'le heale their wounds VVho pleads for peace shall mercie finde with God The oyle of grace shall oyle their stinking gores All fatigating soules griev'd with the load Of sinne may come whose case remorse deplores For sanctify'd crosses all just Mens troubles Are not prest sorrows Mercy comfort doubles I never finde affliction fall on me VVithout desert for God is true and just Nor shall it come and without profit be For God is good as mercifull I trust Then welcome all afflictions sent from God He whom he loves he chastens with his rod VVho loves his childe administers correction And keeps him under awe cause of complainers Yet notwithholds kinde Natures best affection But curbes his will to rectifie his manners Much more Gods love abounds cause we are fraile And playes the Jayler then becomes our baile He lets us fall that he may raise us up And though we sinke we can not headlong drowne By gentle stripes he represents the cup VVhich Christ drunk of our patience for to crowne As Peter sunke then shrunke was twice recall'd So if we sinke or slyde we are not thralld The love of God is free his mercy gracious There 's no constraint binds God to pittie man But of free will would make our soules solacious To glorifie his goodnesse if we can But apprehend by faith what he hath done For us through Christ his onely righteous Sonne Man pondring on his momentany dayes May well conceive the brevitie of time From which extract he should contract the praise Of him who hastes to short the sense of slime And if it were not for his owne Elect He would prolong the day and speed neglect What is this age of ours much like a span Yea like the water buble shent as swelld Even as the glyding shade so fadeth Man Or like the morning grasse soone sprung soone quelld Nay like the flowre which falls then rots ere noone So melt our dayes and so our dayes are done And yet what are our dayes the longest liver As one man once I saw seven score yeares old Nay diverse six score health was such a giver Of lengthning time ere they returnd to mould And yet a dreame whose larger halfe of life Was spent in sleep the rest in toile and strife Oh! if ambitious men their ends were showne That like the froth do beat on rocks of death That shadow short from a fled substance flowne Much like a dreame so vanisheth their breath Then would their deeds forbeare to tyranize The Just might live and offer sacrifice But ah their thundring spight liket'a storme thuds And boasting men would thereby God upbraid The light they scorne and in Infernall clouds Would smother vertue with a sanguine spade Is not this Christian world with bloud o'rewhelmde Their swords with strife their heads with hatred helmde See! godlesse Tyrants tyrannizing still And scourging Saints themselves they scourge with shame Like Nimrod they gainst Heaven will have their will Though justice in sad judgements plague the same At last behold where they themselves sojourne Their threatning swords back in their bosome turne When Dionisus for tyranny had fled He kept a schoole in Calabria eight yeares At Montecilion opposite indeed To Sicilie which he at last endeares A king to turnea schoolemaster was strange But back to turne a King a rarer change In this our age what kings have beene dis-thrond Detect'd cast downe last banish'd from their bounds I could recite and where th' injust were crownd And Princes headlong hurled from their grounds Pryde fosterd spight with them the Ulcer brecks Which gored the harmelesse broke ambitious necks Would God mens choler could with patience lurke To blunt the edge of anger and to curbe With Job their passion let forbearance worke The stress'd Athenian suffring Not disturbe Times meek-fac'd calmenesse prosperous in peace With which no
excrements we know And breath stinke worse than beasts of any race Nay sweetest things that ever time made faire They loathsome grow unlesse the use be rare The soule except'd when I consider all Gods workes and Creatures Man is onely worst The rest sublunary succumbent fall Mans â—ly blest or else for ever curst All things as servile serve for mediate ends Save Man whose wage on joy or woe depends Lord what am I within this house of clay But brickle trash compos'd of slime and dust A rotten fabrick subject to decay Which harbours nought but crums of wretched lust And if a guest of one good thought entreates me I barre it out to lodge the ill that hates me Impietie and custome scale my Fort To rule my minde like to their blinde desire Will head-strong helpes corruption keeps the Port The hands and feet set eye and tongue on fire Then Eloquence breaks forth a subtile foe To trap the object working me the woe Why cause affection begets opinion Opinion rules the World in ev'ry minde Then sense submits that pleasure should be Minion To base conceit absurdly grosse and blinde Thus fond opinion self loves halting daughter Betrayes my scope commits me to sinnes slaughter Then judgement falls and fails and reason flees To shelter Wisedome in some solid breast They leave me both left loaden with disease Whilst frailty fastens sorrow on my creest Delite contracts despite despyte disdaine Thus threefold chaind their furies forge my paine My best companion is my deadly foe Sin is my Consort and would seeme my friend Yea walks with me where e're my footsteps goe And will not leave me till my journeys end The more I flee the faster it cleaves to me And makes corruption labour to undoe me There six degrees of sinne in man I finde Conception first and then consent doth follow The thirds desire that turns his judgement blinde The fourth is practise ragged rent and hollow The fift is flinty keeps fast obduration And last the sixt lulls him in reprobration Mans owne corruption is the seed of sinne And custome is the pudle of corruption Swift head-strong habit traitour-like creeps in And blows sinnes bellowes to make more inruption Nay the worlds example sinnes strong secourse Makes both the object and the subject worse How many foes hath man within without him Within lurks concupiscence vertues foe Without the world which waits and hangs about him Both ghostly and humane to worke his woe Last comes the conscience judge-set to accuse him And verdict given then terrour would confuse him Thus man is ev'ry way tost to and fro Like Tunneise balls when banded still rebound All things have action Nature rules it so The secret sprite of life these motions bound Their being honours God who gave them being But Man fals back from him gave reason seeing And yet to quench these fires remorse creeps in And brings contrition with confession crying Faith flees before pleads pardon for our sin Then ragged rottennesse fals down a dying For repentance and remission of sinnes Are two inseparable sister twinnes Most have no tears for sinne but tears of strife To plead malicious pleyes and waste their meanes On Lawyers tongues that love their envious life And what like partie loose the Cormant gleanes Their cause and charges lost O spightfull pride They spend at last the stock they had beside Like to the Mouse and frogge which did contend Which of them should enjoy the marish ground The Kyte as Judge discuss'd this cause in end And took them both from what they could not bound So Proctors seaze on Clyants lands and walls And raise themselves in their contentious falls They 're like to Aesops dogge who had a bone When through a flood he swim'd fast in his head Where spying his shade he lets it fall anone To catch the other lost them both indeed So spitefull men and greedy well it s knowne In seeking others state they loose their owne Thrice blest is he who knowes and flyes like men Since greed begets oppression or debate And though Deceivers play Politicks then To make their wrongs a right to raise their state Yet forth it comes no subtiltie can close it For time and truth will certainly disclose it They thinke to hide their faults by craft and plots To blynde Gods eyes as they inveigle man O strange what villany their soule besots That dare 'gainst truth the traitour play and than Deceive themselves by a deceitfull way Which tends to death and make them Satans prey Then there is nought but once will come to light No sinne so close but God will it discover No policie can blinde Almighties sight Nor fault so hid that he will once passe over Unlesse repentance draw his mercy downe Thy darkest deeds shall be disclos'd eftsoone Behold Jonah from Joppa when he fled And would not stay to do the Lords direction Clos'd in a ship and hid yea nothing dread Yet found he was and swallowed for correction And Paul for Damas bound to persecute His Saints was stroke yet sav'd his drifts refute Looke to Cains murder how it was clear'd And Davids blood-shed with adultrie mixt Remarke the bush whence Adams voice appear'd And Israels thoughts when they their Maker vext Then he who made thine eyes and gave them sight Can he not see who gave thy seeing light It 's not with God as men Gods ev'ry where In Heaven and earth Gods presence filleth all In Hell below his Justice ruleth there All things must to his omniscience fall Man knows but as he sees and in a part But God doth search the reynes and try the heart How swinishly alas have I then liv'd Nay who can say that I have liv'd at all Whilst buried else in sleep in sloth or griev'd With fals-forgd cares conglutinating thrall To tempt my loving and most patient God I have contemn'd his mercy mock'd his rod There 's nought so smooth and plaine as calme-set seas And nought more rough when rag'd by stormy winde The lead is cold as yce or Winter freize But when been firde its scolding hote we finde Theirne is blunt till toold and edge be put And then most sharpe to stobbe to shave or cut So patient God is loath and slow to wrath His patience is as great as great his love Long suffring he deferres to threaten death Till our grosse sinnes his just drawn-judgements move And then his anger stirr'd it burnes like fire Consuming man and sinners in his ire Next pause I on the momentany sight Of mans short life that like a shadow flees Much like the swiftnesse of a Faulcones flight Or like a bird glydes by our glancing eyes Then marvell I how man can harbour pride Or wherein should his vanitie confyde To day he 's stout to morrow laid in grave His lookes alive are plumd like variant feathers Been throwne in dust he turnes to earth a slave And as he breaths
the crummes of lust he gathers But would he muse on long eternitie He would forsake himself and learne to die To learne to die that he may learne to live For in this course his happinesse consists Die to himself that grace may vice survive In mortifying sinne his blesse subsists Come life come death thus dying so he 's blest And doubtlesse shall in peace of conscience rest O Jesu who redeemd us being dead Whence could thy love so farre to us extend We had no merit thou of us no need And yet thy grace our weaknesse doth defend For as Man first to be like God condemn'd us So God turnd man that God should not contemne us Farre better is a life unfortunate In end with honour that yeelds up the breath Than honourable life and wealthy state With shame to perish and untimely death I rather wish to be a sheepherd borne Then live a Prince and at my death forlorne Come answer me who would be undertaker Whether its best to be a man or beast The beast dissolves and not offends his Maker Nor makes no count save to some carnall feast But godlesse Man in grieving God is worse Throwne downe to Hell and with that fall his curse Who rightly weighs the variable kindes Of Mortals all in either death or life Shall see their bubling breath tost with sharpe windes Of stagring doubts ingorgd with timerous strife Their conscience and their living disagreeing In will or worke most vanquish'd are in dying Nay soule and body at that dreadfull day Shall be conjoynd and hurld downe to hell This wretch thus damn'd in tortring flames shall stay Chaind in that howling Radamanthan Cell The beast he fals and turnes to nought we see But Man adjudgd his worme shall never die As for the vertuous Saint his happinesse Begins at death which end all worldly noyes He swarmes in pleasures rich in blessednesse Death makes the passage to his heavenly joyes He feares no stop nor stay his faith instructs him The way though strait his good Angel conducts him And wouldst thou learne whilst here t' attaine that way Be humble first and then religious set Place Heaven before Thee make faith thereon to stay And then let zeale and love fast setling get To grip Christs wounds then feare then praise then pray Let earnest prayers thy best devotion swey For prayer is the souls great sacrifice Which speaks to God and meditation Is Gods speech to the soule an exercise Conjoynd together two revolv'd in one The one invelopes the other and speaks Reciprocall Both our salvation seeks Which two like Hypocrates twinnes are bred Who liv'd fed slept joyd wept and dyed together So can they not be separate indeed Though fasting doe prepare their journey hither This outward action like t'a potion scoures The other sprituall are divinely ours Like to a paire of Turtles truely set Whereof the one by death been slaughter'd gone The other mournes for loosing of her Mate And languishing doth die No life alone So meditation gives matter to the minde And without prayer nothing shall we finde For both bring reconcilement and acceptance And makes thee to thy father a loving sonne So by his Sonne a brother of acquaintance And by the Sprite a Temple squard and done Last in the court of Heaven thou art made free A fellow with th' Angelick hierarchie O joy of joyes O happy endlesse blesse Who can expresse that glory there reveal'd The eye the minde nor tongue can dascon this Since ravish'd Paul amaz'd hath it conceal'd Then labour silly soule this marke to aime Which seen and got how great is thy good name But ah I stagger in the myres of sin And daily sinks in pudles of defects The more I flee the more I swallow in The stinking marish of absurd effects The very boggy quagmyres of vice I plunge them all unvaluing weight or price The price alas is great and I must pay it Unlesse Christs wounds break open plead for pitie O pledge divine thy merits will defray it Thou art my surety O prevent my dittie Evert the sentence least I lye in Jayle Stand to thy mercy Lord be thou my bayle To square the lives of godly men with mine How farre my selfe fled from my self I finde Thrice wretchd am I to thinke me one of thine In whom corruption rules the inward minde It 's more then strange I should expect for good Whilst still I trample on my Saviours blood There is no sense in this that I should slay My silly soule to crosse my crost desire Can head-strong passions mine accounts defray When my just Judge my reckning shall require Nay spare thy spurres poore wretch and call to minde A self-soule Murdrer can no mercy finde That sinne which I hate worst I follow most Yet faine would sift the evil of deceit Loe with repugnants how my breast is tost Here lyes my safety there the snaring bait Sinne like a Fowler with a whistle takes me And that good which I would it then forsakes me O! love and love it self Father of love And God of mercy mercy is thy Name O King of pitie all my faults remove Farre from before Thee coverthou my shame That here me to accuse they never come Nor hence to damne me at the day of doome Ah! wicked men they triumph in excesse To tempt thy patience O long suffring God! They glory to cast downe the fatherlesse And on the Widows back they lay their rod They lose themselves and so would lose their brother With them thy honour in their pride to smother Unwise is he and thrice unhappy too Who ill commits that good thereon may follow He 's like the Crocodile that loves to wooe The gray Nyle Rat and eftsoone doth it swallow Which when enclos'd it cuts his wombe seeks breath And with its freedome workes the others death So haplesse man in hurtfull wayes of sinne His hopelesse heart he suffocats with lust Till custome bring sterne obduration in And then he turnes a Reprobate injust The doore of grace is shut his soule wants faith Then sinne leaves him squard for eternall death They gallop on in dark-drawne pathes of Hell The glen is hollow but the way is broad In two extreames the least they quite repell To shunne a fardell they receive a load The yoake of Christ is light but ah they swallow The weight of sinne which all their labours follow I crosse my crossing armes on my crost breast And musing lurks to looke on humane state How wretch'd it is how carelesse how deprest To ev'ry snare makes man unfortunate That haplesse he for one small moments pleasure Dare hazard ah his souls eternall treasure The will 'twixt reason and sensualtie plac'd Is apt to be apply'd to either side But first and firmest Will by sense is trac'd Which is of youth and childish age the guide For seldome reason can once conquer will Cause sense presents for good a
to their devouring plenties My bones shall rot then turne in mouldring dust This is the way of flesh both bad and just And yet vaine Man he little thinks or dreames Once of his death nor what his end may be His sense deludes him and the world it seemes A glasse to looke on for his sensuall eye He neither mournes for sinne nor sinne forsakes But from one ill another worser takes What surging follies overcloud my minde With vain-wing'd fancies and surmysing flashes Such fleering thoughts more lighter than the winde Breed nought but foolerie which opinion dashes My wish'd for wishes straight conceiv'd and done The care of carelesse dreams I scarce can shunne I posting runne in wayes of naughty ends Lord crook and stop my course with streames of grace Which flood can carry none that ill pretends Like Jordan that receives no barbarous face Unlesse they swim So sans remorse they 'le drowne Who hazard here quick sandie sins pull downe This saving grace the soule guards with strong hand And if it slip it can not fully fall It s like Maronahs full disgorging strand Hembes in Canaan from barbarian thrall Like keeps the Lord his owne and guards their wayes They perish not though chargd with fraile delayes As Jordan circuits the holy land Twixt Liban and that south-lake smoaking show From the Petreian soyle joynd with a strand Which tribute payes 'gainst Jericho I know To famous Jore One parts the Midian soyle The other sackt Samarias confynes coyle This is the march girds Canaans south-east side But more the Lord preserves and guards his owne From ghostly ill and from aetheriall pride From terrene sprites from Hell and what is knowne To plague the soule he is a bulwark strong Fens'd with good Angels free all his from wrong Then happy they can creep within this Tent And sheltrage seek under his mercies wings Sigh for thy sinnes O! let thy soule repent Thy misdemeanour to the King of kings First grieve then weep last seeke thy Saviours face Let teares implore for teares can plead for grace Kinde were these teares which Josephs love had spent When with his brethren he his brother saw His heart surchargd with joy it shrunke as shent To plunge that deep which Benjamin did draw But loe moe teares were shed one with another When Joseph said Behold I am your brother Feare not said he the strict Aegyptian law Though to the Ismaelites my life you sold For what was done was done by God I knaw No spight of yours his providence behold Foresaw your need and brought me here to be A father to my Fathers miserie There five yeares famine yet shall worke your woe Wherein ag'd Jacob and his race may starve Unlesse he flit then get you up and go To fetch him downe faile not in this nor swerve They went he came all met in melting joyes For passions have extreames as bairnes have toyes Since Nature then in floods of teares can melt For joy of sight to overjoy their love Much more our teares when we remorse have felt For sinne shall glade the powers in Heaven above These tears are blest and make us blest for ever For godly grief from grace no crosse can sever Let patient Job be paterne in like case Whose losse was such as never yet was none Yet shrunk he not sound stedfast love took place Faith forc'd his hope and both proclaim'd in one Sure my Redeemer lives and he is just Though he should kill me yet in him I 'le trust Mine eyes shall see him and he will me save As I am confident he will not faile Sterne rough calamitie would me deceave But that 's a shade my purpose must prevaile In God my soule is fixt nought can dismay me Nay death it selfe nor Satan can betray me See! here the Columne of a lively faith The type of Christ in meek and milde behaviour His friends they slight him he contemnes his death And in his miserie still avowd his Saviour This was a love excell'd all loves on earth For Christ he lov'd who lov'd him ere his birth Then how hate I my selfe if I love not My loving Lord who lov'd me from his love He truely loves who for thy sake I wot Loves thee and himselfe for thee this we prove All kindes of love without thy love breed loathing Unlesse we love them for thy sake they 're nothing Great king of glory all thy works invite Us to love thee since thou first loved us As starres do from the Sunne take light and heat For from that fulnesse we the like discusse How can our soules thine Jmage want the sight Of thy bright love whose love is perfect light Lord we do all depend upon thy love Because our being had of thee beginning Next thou preserves us as we rest or move And art our end controlls us when a sinning All what we have we have receiv'd from thee And what we want thou wilt the same supply O God of love thy nature is all love In love more glorious than the sunne in light Thou art an infinite fire from above Which here enlightens with its beames each wight A fire of love a loving fire we finde A light not burnes a flame not quels the minde O Lord if thou thy tender love withdraw And from us slips one step to turne thy back Are we not dead in sloth and sleep no awe But each temptation shall presage our wracke Then Lord uphold us since all worldly things Are ever changing tyme their ruine brings To day we live the morne to grave we 're sped We sight this world as birds by gazers glyde As dreams evanish so our dayes are fled Like water bubles as soone quelld as spyde Thus heart-grown man ingorgd with pryde and lust He posts and posts to death then turnes in dust To argue on corruption that subverts The good we would and choaks our best desires It is a senslesse appetite perverts The light of reason with entangling fires A head-strong blinde irregulary ill That captives wit and wounds both sense and will It s strong in all infirmities injust Still fraile in goodnesse weak in sound conception It s rull'd by nature and her daughter lust Which blinds the light of knowledge with deception Like pitch corruption blacks the purest soule And where it comes makes ev'ry clean thing foule It takes best hold on imbecillitie And where that fortitude deficient is It dare not wrestle with dexteritie Nor count with Temprance one defective misse Much like a Ruffian or a Theefe by night It loves and lives in darknesse more than light Corruption many wayes may be defind To be a Hydra neck'd Herculian snake Stop'd at the eye it compasseth the minde Barr'd from the soule the heart it soone will take Say if the eare be deafe the hand will feele And if it smell not it can taste too well Corruption rules most states and office places In Church and
fabrick Angels singing musick To lure our soules to take coelestiall physick â—hen come stress'd thou who loaden is and weary â—nd here refresh thy fatigating soule â—ake haste and come and now no longer tarry â—est others barre Thee from Bethesdaes Poole When grace would touch thy sprite thy heart is troubled But be not slow lest losse on losse be doubled â—onsider Lord these times wherein we live â—d harken to thy chosen deare Elect â—t Israel joy and thine enemies grieve â—o time good God their sacrifice neglect But heare and help them guard them round about With heavenly hosts and thine Angelick rout Looke downe on thy stress'd Sion and her teares And bottle up her woes within the Urne Of thy remembrance Grievous grow her feares By Wolves in Lambskins topsolturvie turne Most fearfull seeme these whirlewindes of time Bred from the base seditious dregs of slime Such wound her sides but can not dimme her light The blood of Saints is her espousall seed When darkest stormes would theat to bring downe night Thy Spouse triumphs in Christ her soveraigne head No winde so high nor wave so great but grace Can calme sterne blasts when thou seest time and place When Man is snard by sinne and seemes as lost Then God drawes neare and makes his Sprite prepare The soule for grace So when forlorne or crost Christs Church appeares that even her Saints despaire Then comfort comes the Lord will not exile her Nor let the spight and craft of men defile her Pure like the gold is she and christall cleare White as the snow and sweeter than the hony Thy virgine Spouse most neare to Thee and deare Is farre more precious than ten Worlds of money The silver-fornace tryde is not so fine Nor halfe so sweet tasts Rethimosean wine Lord looke upon her crosses and relieve Her troubled Saints for Thee and for thy Sonne She springs through briers and mongst sharpe thorns doth livâ— Like to the Rose in midst of thistles wonne Her bloudy foes confound protect her Saints Erect maintaine their zeale Lord heare their plaints Faire is thy sister sweet thy Spousall love Her sent is bundled Myrrhe fixt on her breasts She 's thine cled with thy power thine harmelesse Dove For in the Garden of thy grace she feasts Come clasp her in thine armes come gracious Lord And shew thy Virgin Queene misericord Red shines the blush of Sions fragrant flowres Greene spring her boughs like Liban Cedars tall Swift flee her wings to court her Paramours Knowne to her friends but never knowne to all Whose purple Roabes are pure and finer farre Then Tyrians wore ere they were sackt by warre Like the Apple in midst of Forrest trees Thy Welbeloveds so 'mongst sonnes of Men The fairest 'mongst Women with radiant eyes Would succour have to save her from the Den Of darknesse black Lift up thy face and see The spices and ripe fruit of her fig-tree Whose breasts are like two twinnes 'mongst Lillies fed Her rosie cheeks more brighter than the Sunne One marke she beares that in the soule is bred Another badge lasts till our glasse be runne The thirds a sparke that mounts to Heaven above The light of Saints the love of endlesse Love Her richest garment truth and righteousnesse And that 's broudred with mercy grace and peace â—aithfull in all and patient in distresse Constant to stand unchangeable of pace And yet her beauty Heavens no fairer fixe Than mens tradition would the same ecclipse She 's Catholick now not ty'd to a place As Jewrie land where God was onely knowne Christs Church points forth the Universe for grace Came with th' Evangel peace to Pagans showne The Gentiles then were call'd as well as Jews For mercy came with Jesus Gospell news And yet there many darknesse love than light For sinne craves silence and umbragious places The cloud 's their covert and their friend the night The day their foe their Darling obscure faces Thus blinde inveigling vice turnes darknesse darke For jet-black sin can dim their foggy warke Too many darknesse love so sinne provides That blinded eyes must follow blinde tradition Blinde are they bred but blinder far their guides Who maske poore Ignorants with superstition Whose Church maintaines false miracles and treason Blood murther incest powder plots and poyson Besides this Church idolatrous and drunk With indulgence and pardons Policies At Limbus forgd Absurd for gaine and sunk In Purgatories avarice and lyes There other orient Churches erre and fall From Gospell truth they know it not at all The Aethiopian Abbasins the Moore Aegyptian Gopties Chelfanes Georgians Greeks Nostrans Syriacks Jacobines what more Grosse Armenians th' Amaronite that seeks Talp-drawne ignorance all of which do swerve Tradition is the mistresse whom they serve I could dive here in their distract'd conceit And blinde surmises sowne these parts abroad But I suspend yet here 's a dangerous state To cast opinions on the face of God Their Patriarchs like themselves do play the foole That will not square Religion with Christs rule O! if I could with Jeremie lament The worlds great errours and my fallings too And with grievd Ninivie in time repent Lest with my slippings justice me undo Thrice happy were I in this resolution Ere death enhaunce my life bring dissolution Yet soule despaire not God is mercifull Long suffring patient full of kinde compassion His love to Man is passing plentifull Whose grace and mercy flow on our confession For if one teare for sinne fall from our eyes He 's pleas'd to pardon our infirmities How gracious then is God how rich I say Is Christs redemption fraught with saving bloud If we have faith in him if we can pray And lift our eyes fixt on the holy Rude And then to suffer in our zeale those pangs Our Saviour thold in this our welfare hangs My merit is thy mercy that 's the end Although good works they are the way to heaven Yet not the cause why I may there ascend That in thy love remaines makes mine oddes eaven For if thou hadst not dyed what had I beene And if not risen what had my soule seene Thou wilt not gracious God break the bruisde reed Nor quench the smoaking flaxe for said thou hast That if our sinnes were dy'd in scarlet red Thou'le make them white as snow to let us taste Of grace and gladnesse 'Cause the broken heart Thou'le not reject contrition would convert Lord thou ordaind that death no flesh should shunne Cause why it was the doome and curse of sinne And so the punishment of thy deare Sonne Which for our sakes thy judgements cast him in That as the Divell prevailed by a Tree So by a Tree his power should vanquish'd be Then let the sight of thy transgressions rude Draw drops of teares from thine inunding eyes Since they did draw so many drops of bloud From thy Redeemers wounds thy soule to ease And looke what David said in faith and feare His sinnes were heavier
then his back could beare Then great was that sad burden Jesus bore In soule and body to exstirpe this curse His Fathers wrath our punishment therefore Our endlesse doome eternall his secourse His agonies our happinesse implord His bloody sweet our detriments restord As in a garden first our sinne began So in a Garden our redemption sprung That in like place where Adam the first Man Was by the Serpents craft exactly stung So so in Gethsemaine the Lord of light Triumph'd o're sinne put Satan to the flight Then Christ is that pure glasse wherein we spie Our wants our faults or what amisse is done Within instruction without examples lye Here death proclaimd and there salvation The lists are set then how can we come in But by repentance sorrowing for sin How precious were these tears of Magdalen Who washt Christs feet with eye-repenting drops Yea with her haire did dry these feet agen And kiss'd them with her lip-bepearled chops Last did anoint them with a costly oyle For which the Traitour Judas checkd such spoile Thrice sacred worke but more blest oyle and teares Spent in the presence of her soules Redeemer To expiat sinne Whom now the dead endeares To be a Saint for so did Christ esteeme her And for which love its memorie should last From age to age till all ages be past Besides her owne salvation she became A dayly follower to her Lord and Master Yea ministred things needfull fed zeales flame With heavenly food whereof she was a taster Nay to his death and grave she never left him And witnesse bore how thence his Godhead reft him Came not kinde Mary weeping to this grave To looke for Christ but could not finde him there The Angell spoke and ask'd Whom would you have Said she To see my Lord is all my care But he 's not here alas he 's stolne away And where he 's laid I know not nor what way The winding-sheet she found clos'd at both ends And close by the Tombe side she sate her downe She sought she felt she search'd and still suspends He was and was not there back to the towne She bends her face yet staid and cry'd and wept My Lord is stolne whom souldiers watch'd and kept The heavie stone roll'd back which fourty men Could scarce advance yet where 's my loving Lord I 'le runne and tell let the Apostles ken What villanies this night the Jews afford Yet gone she soone turnd back love masterd heart For from the Sepulchre she would not part Nor did darke midnight fright her nor the sight Of two bright Angels set at either end Of his interrement nor their words afright Her mourning zeale whose scope did deeper tend To seeke the Lord who gave her light and grace And till she found him would not leave the place At last Christ in a humane shape appear'd Whom she mistooke and for a Gardner deemd Said he Why wepst thou whom seekst thou she feard Said Tell me if thou stole him us redeemd Then Jesus nam'd Mary she turnes about And cry'd Rabboni with a joyfull shout This lessons us that when we fast or pray We should not faint but hope our suite shall speed He 'le come and come in time though he delay Our suite he 'le grant though we mistake the deed Then Mary-like let faith charge hope and do it Faile not be instant grace shall bring thee to it Christ from the worldly wise and great kept back These mysteries which silly ones did see And why his will did this poore woman take To witnesse that he rose and rose on hie That by his resurrection we might rise To cut the clouds and rent the azure skies As mines of gold and silver still are found On barren Hills and scurrile fruitlesse parts So faith so feare so zeale Religion sound Are chiefly plac'd and fixt in pooremens hearts Did not Christs wisedome this foresee and choosd The scummes of Nature whom the world refusd Lord grant with Magdalen I spend my teares With sighing sadnesse to implore thy pittie That when my conscience shall be void of feares I then may know thou hast destroy'd my dittie Speake peace I pray thee to this soule of mine Since what I have is all and onely thine As fire reserves two properties well mixt The one to warme the other light to shoe So mercy hath two branches better fixt Love to give peace and pardon to forgoe For pittie rules the helme and Mans distresse Craves calme in midst of stormie wickednesse Like so are troubles th' whetstone that doth square Stress'd hearts with prayer humble them most low Why cause adversities they still prepare The soule with patience to sustaine the blow All crosses to the just their well intend The cause being Christs their suffrings in him end Thou Joy of joyes sweeter farre than sweetnesse Thy mercy is that balme which heales my sores Thou peace and pittie oynt my wounds with wetnesse No drouth of sinne can chink my weeping gores Why cause each sinne begets a source of teares When sinne evapourats then grace appeares Then pardon fraught with pittie stops the Font Lest sorrow melt the soule in anxious sadnesse Deep sobs and windy sighes above they mount Whence they returne surcharged with godly gladnesse No finne so sterne but mercy can suppresse it If with repenting grief we but confesse it Lord save me from presumptuous sinnes and save My soule from sinnes desert mercy is thine All my transgressions kinde remission crave They lye before thee though the fault is mine Begging for pardon pardon they implore And in my frailnesse guiltinesse deplore A wounded conscience who can beare that load O racking sting that galles the quivring soule All sweet chastisements of thy gentle rod Are cleansers for to purge our errours foule But this mad grief contracts a gnawing worme Tempestuous whirlewindes of an endlesse storme What quick evasion shall my flight contrive To hide me from thy face what way or where If in the depths I drench lo thou canst dive If to the utmost coasts lo thou art there What umbrage Cell or Cave the world about Can menascond but thou wilt finde me out Above else deep beneath or here below Thy presence is Then whither shall I flee There is no point but that point thou dost know Though smaller than the smallest haire can bee No rocks nor hills nor darknesse can me night Nor blacknesse vaile from thy all-seeing sight Then in a word there 's no refuge for me But flye to thee whose sight I can not shunne To beg for peace and grace to mortifie My sinfull lusts before my glasse be runne Lord let mine eyes distill like melting sleet Or Marie-like who washd with teares thy feet It is the minde and not the Masse thou seeks My sprit is thine and longs to be refinde By it thou knowst my secreet wayes and creeks Whether I be to good or ill inclinde My soule 's the Ruther of my journey